26 weeks of hell only to become a 2LT

[ArtySgt]

I was sent from Ft. Ord, Cal. to Field Arty Chief of Section school at Ft. Sill ,Okla. to qualify on the 8 in. and 175 self propelled guns. There was a shortage of qualified Section Chiefs on these two guns in Vietnam. Upon arrival at the 90th Replacement Co, I was sent to a 105 split trail unit. Go figure !

[colmurph]

Were to make you sound like a "Storm Trooper" but in reality, I think they were put on us to give the "Lower Gross" fair warning that we were approaching. The Middle Class Cadets with the Green Tabs on their shoulders didn't get much heat from us. The poor "Lower Gross" caught it from us and the Tac Officers. Of course we had to make it look like "Corrective Instruction" and not hazing but hazing it was. A Tac Officer from Second World War days by the name of Capt. Karl Jark, tried to make Robinson Barracks into a "Mini" West Point.

[PHO127]

worn to see if you were agile, more upper class were injured due to falling with taps on than anything. I understand that they stopped wearing taps because of so many injuries. One of our TAC officers used to pull the nails out a little on his taps and walk through the barracks scuffing his shoes on the floor. We had to spend the night repairing the damage, covered with blankets and using flashlights.

[PHO127]

Love you guys, When I went to battery in Khe Sahn had to get a crash course by chief of smoke and FDC. Normal daily ASR for 155 is about 100 rds per day. We averaged about 1500. Literally would shoot a tractor trailer load of ammo a day.

[ArtySgt]

PHO 127, 1500 rounds of 155mm on the NVA sure gets their atttention, it certainly got mine a few times my Battery needed some help.